By Michael Gooch, School Improvement Consultant and Attendance Specialist & Forum Strategy Associate
In September 2023, the House of Commons Education Committee published Persistent Absence and Support for Disadvantaged Pupils. In much the same way as the many reports that have gone before, there has been an inquiry and investigation into pupils’ absence and (at least 23) recommendations have been made for ways forward to improve school attendance post-pandemic. But before I go any further, it is worth stating (from my perspective) that it remains shocking that taking an accurate register is part of a teacher’s statutory duties and yet guidance around attendance remains non-statutory. This contradiction speaks volumes! It is largely this decision from the Government that continues to allow inconsistency in how guidance is implemented across trusts and schools.
Alongside, on page 3 and throughout the September report, it states that ‘it is the Department’s intention to …’ and therein lies a big part of the problem, as what is intended and what is actually done can be very different. Anyone who has been involved in education, and specifically with attendance work for any length of time, will know that aside from the Covid-related references – (long Covid, increased mental health issues and changes in parents’ attitudes to school attendance since lockdown), many of the other issues raised in this report are actually long standing ones.